The invention relates to an apparatus for producing cuboid-shaped (cigarette) packages having an outer wrapper which can be folded around the package""s contents, in particular around a group of packs, in a receptaclexe2x80x94pocketxe2x80x94of a folding assemblyxe2x80x94folding turret, thus forming essentially right-angled pack edges.
The outer wrappers of packages, in particular of bundle packages for cigarettes, should have precisely folded package edges, primarily with a right-angled cross section. During the production of packages whose contents are not exactly cuboid-shaped or not delimited by right-angled edges, especially in the production of bundle packages with a group of cigarette packs having rounded pack edgesxe2x80x94round-corner packsxe2x80x94the formation of package edges having a right-angled cross section is problematical.
The invention is based on the problem of finding measures to ensure a precise formation of package edges independent of the contents of the package.
In, order to solve this problem, the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that each pocket of the folding assembly has edge supports, around which the outer wrapper can be folded and which can thereafter be moved out of the supporting position.
According to the invention it follows that a blank for the outer wrapper is notxe2x80x94as is the usual casexe2x80x94folded directly around the package contents in the region of the package edges as well. Instead, according to the invention, support elements are provided in the region of the package edges which are configured and arranged such that they ensure a folding of the blank in this region which results in the formation of precisely defined package edges.
During the production of a bundle package for cigarettes, the invention provides for the edge supports to be positioned in the region of upper and lower side edges of the end walls of the bundle package. When the (finished) package is ejected from the respective pocket of the folding turret, the edge supports connected to the folding turret or its pockets are drawn out of their supporting position inside the package.
Other features of the invention relate to individual details of the folding assembly or folding turret during production, namely the folding of a blank for the outer wrapper of a bundle package.